burn ham



2 Sheets-Sheet l. J. F. BURNHAM.

' (No Model.)

Patented Apr. 15, 1890.

(NoModel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. F. BURNHAM. TAG MARKING MACHINE.

Patented Apr. 15, 1890.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. BRNHAM, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD c TO JOHN O. METOALF, OF SAME PLACE.

TAG-MARKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,749, dated April 15, 1890.

Application filed January 31, 1890. Serial No. 338,751. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern;

Be it known that I, JOHN F. BURNHAM, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Tag-Marking Machines, of

which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in tag-marking machines preferably for the purpose of marking tags used in boot and shoe manufactories for the purpose of recording or keeping an account of the work successively done by the operatives during the process of making the boots and shoes. Such markingtags are partly printed on an ordinary printing-press; but as the number of pairs, price, zc., for the labor varies according to the style of the boot or shoe such part of the tag or slip is generally iilled in by hand or by a stencil, which is very time-consuming, and to enable such marking to be done rapidly is the object of my invention, which is carried out as follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l represents a perspective view of the improved tag-marking machine. Fig. 2 represents a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 represents a vertical longitudinal section of the machine. Fig. l represents a cross-section on the line X X shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 represents a detail perspective view of the vertically-reciprocating type-ribbon carrier. Fig. 6 represents a horizontal section of the same on the line Y Y shown in Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 represents a detail perspective view of one of the endless type-ribbons.

Similar letters referto similar parts wherever they occur on the different parts of the drawings.

The machine consists of a base-plate a, havupwardly-projecting frames or standards In bearings in the upper ends of the standards A A'is journaled the shaft B, to which is secured a cam b for forcingdownward the ribbon-carrier K, as will hereinafter be more fully described. l

To the shaft B is secured a small pinion d, the teeth of which mesh in the teeth of a similar pinion e, loosely j ournaled on apin or stud secured to one of the uprights A. 'lhe said pinion e has a crank-pin e', to which is pivoted the upper end of the pawl-rod f, provided in its lower end with a pawl f', which is held in contact with the ratchet-wheel g by means of a suitable spring g', as shown in Fig. l. The said ratchet-wheelg is secured to the end of the feed-shaft G, which is journaled in bearings in the frames A A or base-plate a, and has secured to it between said frames a pair of feed-rollers G G preferably made of rubber or other suitable yielding material.

To the shaft B, I prefer to secure a balancewheel B, provided wit-h a crank B for the purpose of imparting a rotary motion to the shaft B if the machine is to be worked by hand; but it may be set in a rotary motion by means of belt-power applied to a pulley on said shaft, if so desired, without departing from the essence of my invention.

H H are-loose rollers, arranged upon the ends of levers h 7L, adjustably secured in a suitable manner to the uprights A A, said rollers H H being located directly above the feed-rollers G G and during the operation of the machine the tag I is intermittently fed forward between the said rollers G H G H.

By the mechanism above described it will be seen that an intermittent rotary motion is imparted to the shaft G and its feed-rollers G G from the rotary driving-shaft B for the purpose of intermittently feeding the tag I forward during the operation of marking the same.

K isthe vertically-reciprocating type-ribbon carrier, preferably provided in its two opposite ends with trunnions or projections 7c lo 7c k', adapted to move up and down between guides l Z Z l', the guides or ribs] Z being secured to the insides of the uprights A A, and the parts l Z being preferably vertically adjustable thereon to enable the ribboncarrier K to be detached from between the uprights A A, whenever so desired. The guides t Z may be adjusted vertically in any suitable manner without departing Vfrom the spirit of my invention.

The ribbon-carrier K is forced downward by means of the cam b acting on its top or on IOO a projection K' thereon, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 8, 4, and 5. After the cam b ceases to"y act on the ribbon-carrier K it is raised by automatic mechanism, as follows: To the inside of the uprights A A are pivoted at m m the levers M M, united at their lower ends below the ribbon-carrier K by means of a crossbar M. Said levers are moved in the direction shown by arrow in Fig. l by the influence of a spring M one end of which is secured to the levers M, its other end being secured to an arm or projection M3,secured1'o one of the uprights A; but this is not essential, as any well-known form of spring or springs may be used with equal advantage.

In the lower parts of the levers MM below the ribbon-carrier K is loosely journaled thev inking-roller N, which is charged in a suitable manner with ink or coloring-matter.

I prefer to make on the rear of the ribboncarrier K two or more inclined cam-shaped ribs K K, which serve two purposesnamely, to prevent the ink-roller N from coming in contact with the outer surfaceof said ribbon-carrier K, and 4thus preventing the ink from spreading on and soiling said carrier, and; secondly,'to serve as means for forcing the latter upward by the agency of the spring M, which causes the inking-roller N to roll on said cam-shaped ribs K, and causes the ribbon-carrier K to be forced upward as soon as it is relieved from the downward pressure of the rotary cam b.

The marking of the tag or slip I is done by means of endless type-ribbons and adjustingwheels in the following manner: Within the ribbon-carrier K is located in bearings in its ends la horizontal shaft O, and upon said shaft is loosely journaled a number of independent fianged rollers p p p, each one of the latter having secured to it a serrated disk P, projecting through a slit 7c3 in the carrier K, as shownl in the drawings. K4 is a horizontal bar, forming a part of the lower portion of the ribbon-carrier K. R R are a series of elastic endless type-ribbons passing around the respective rollers p p and the bar K4, said ribbons being provided with types r r from 0 to 9, 'or alphabetical letters, according to the marking that is to be done. s S are guides secured to the base a for the purpose of properly guiding the tag, slip, or card that is .to be marked. Said guides may be made 'adjustable, if so desired, if cards or tags of different widths are to be marked by the imv proved machine.

`The operation. of the improved marking machine is asfollows: The respective typeribbons R fr are adjusted by turning the serrated disks P P according to the marking that is to be done; ,'Inhe card I to be marked is then introduced from the rear of the machine between the intermittently f rotating feed-rollers G G andthe looselyjournaled rollers H H,- after which the shaft B is set in a rotary motion in the direction shown by arrow in Fig. 1, causing the ink from the roller N to be transferred to the ribbons R, where they rest on the bar K4 of the ribbon-carrier, and causing the latter and the inked-type portions of the ribbons to be forced downward against the upper side of the tag or.

`or card I is fed onward in the direction shown by arrows in Figs. 1 and 2 the desired amount for making a successive mark or print, and4 so on until the wholetag or card is printed.

The machine, although particularly designed for marking shoetags, may to equal advantage be used for marking or printing tags or cards for other purposes, as may be desired. y

Having thus fully described the nature, construction, and operation of my invention, I wish to secure by Letters Patent and claim-.-

1. The tag-marking machine as described, consisting of a vvertically-movable ribbon-carrier having a series of independently-adj ustable endless type-ribbons and intermittently` rotary feed-rollers, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. f

2. The tag-marking machine as described, consisting of a reciprocating ribbon-carrier having arranged within it a series of inden pendently-adjustable endless type-ribbons arranged on wheels and a bar in said carrier, combined with intermittently rotary feed-p,

rollers, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The tag-marking machine as described, consisting of the rotary shaft B and its cam b, and the reciprocating ribbon-carrier K, having a series of independently-adjustable endless type-ribbons R, combined with the oscillating ink-roller N and the intermittentlyrotary feed-rollers G G', substantially as and for the purpose set fort 4. In a tag-marking machine, the reciprocating ribbon-carrier K, having a series of independently-adjustable endless type-ribbons R, combined with a rotary cam b for forcing the carrier downward, a pivoted springpressed inking-roller N for conveying the ink or color to the type-ribbons and for raising the ribbon-carrier, and the intermittently-1'0- tary feed-rollers Gr G forfeeding the tag or card I,rsubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5.' In a tag-marking machine, the reciprocating ribbon-carrier K, having a series of independently-adjustable endless type-ribbons and tapering cam-shaped ribs K K, com- -bined with the oscillating spring-pressed inking-roller N` and the rotary cam b, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. A tag-marking machine composed of a IOO reciprocating ribbon-carrier having a series In testimony whereof I have signed my ro of independently-adjustable endless type-ribname to this speeieation, in the presence of bons, an oscillating' spring -pressed nkingtwo subscribing Witnesses, on this 13th day of roller, a rotary driving-shaft and cam thereon, January, A. D. 1890.

intermittent rotary feed-rollers, and nterme- Y 1 diate connecting mechanism, substantially as JOHN LURN HAM' described, from the rotary driving-shaft to the Vitnesses:

feed-roller shaft, all arranged and combined ALBAN ANDRN,

substantially as and for the purpose setforth. f M. J. JACKSON. 

